Third Thursday Poetry Night, February 20

A cold night but the poetry was hot! There was a short open mic followed our featured reader, Jill Crammond. But first I invoked the Muse, tonight the gone Albany poet Moses Kash III (1945 - 2017) by reading his poem “Black Einstein.” 

Aron Ervin was the 1st poet on the sign-up sheet, one who has not read here in a long time, pleased to see/hear him again; he read a poem he has been working on through many versions, a mix of real life & imagination & alchemy, “Philosopher’s Stone.” 

David Gonsalves read “Pitfall” a brief, intricate Valentine story of the apocalypse, or something like that.

Avery Stempel read his poem “The Leaf,” wondering about what the leaf is doing floating past our busy lives.

Carolee Bennett had been here in December for the visit from Sanity Clause; tonight she read a poem/essay “Google: Find Tacos & Dive Bars” on the vastness of the universe & billionaire astronauts.

Lady Shevoné read a poem responding to a prompt, “Self-Sacrifice,” written in the style of a letter of advice to a friend.

In honor of our featured poet’s interest in the Tarot I read my poem titled “The 9 of Cups” which I wrote some years ago about a Tarot reading that Jill did for me.

The earliest photo of this night’s featured poet, Jill Crammond, is from January, 1997 at the Border’s Bookstore on Wolf Rd.; she is a mom (& about to become a grandma), & an early-childhood teacher, with numerous publications in poetry & literary journals. She read largely from her first book of poems Handbook for Unwell Mothers (Finishing Line Press, 2023) poems about being a single-mother, starting with, “All the Pretty Mothers.” On to “Still Life: Ex-wife Washing Dishes in the Burning House,” then a true story “On Forbidding Certain Words at the Dining Table,” & “The Town Witch Tries to Make Friends” (on the suburban housewives). Next some new poems, a couple of poems about conversations with her daughter (who was in the audience) “On Learning & Disbelieving the Average Age of People When they Go Missing is 34” (on possums & superpowers), “Epistle to My Daughter Standing on the Shore of the Watery House,” then one about being a medium, “My Life As a Very Real Ghost,” & “My Mother is an Ironing Board” (on aging & grief). A poem she tried to write to be like Avery, then, since he was here, decided to ask him up to read it in his performance voice, “On Learning There is No Word Like Widow for  Daughter of a Dead Man” & indeed it sound just like something he would write, “Grief Answers Its Own Question” (an abcedarian), then to a poem about a failed relationship “On Forgetting to Invite the Groom to the Wedding,” & ended with a poem responding to a poem by Frank O’Hara, “Someday I will Love Jill Crammond.” So good to hear Jill out reading again among her poetry peeps. 

During Jill’s reading a figure that I at first thought could be the ghost of Moses wandered in to use the Social Justice Center’s bathroom & select a scarf for some warmth from the Free Store — he also took a flower from the bouquet that Sophie, Jill’s daughter, had brought, & took one of Jill’s books — before wandering back to the street. 

Many things can happen at the Third Thursday Poetry Night, not just the written & spoken work, each month at 7:30pm at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY — bring a poem to read, make a donation to support the featured poet, poetry readings in Albany, & the work of the Social Justice Center.

2nd Tuesday All-Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, March 11

Our host, Charlie Rossiter, started us off, as he regularly does, with his rant ending “… the mic is now open!” We did the usual 2 rounds, 1 poem in each round.

And I was first up on the list; in the 1st round I read a poem written in 2006 for the now gone Pierre Joris (1946 - 2025), “60 Lines for Pierre (a response to the “lost” poem of Dan Wilcox found on Oakwood St.)". For the 2nd round I read my own most recent Birthday Poem,  “Self-Portrait with Cat” in which I introduce my new companion Balthus.

Tom Nicotera began with a new poem, “My Football Jacket,” about his Bengals jacket — but he’s not a fan, hates football, actually a rhapsody of his uncle’s coat. He read another new poem in the 2nd round, “Painting the Sky,” clashes between a god & a goddess. 

Mark O’Brien talked about the poet W.W. Christman (1865 - 1937) who had lived outside of Albany, NY & written 4 volumes of poetry in his lifetime, then read a poem in rhyme in the style of Christman about confronting chicken thieves. In his 2nd round, Mark read a poem based on where Christman had lived, with obscure local references from local newspapers. 

Ginny Folger’s poem “Early March”, was a descriptive piece about the stalled world waiting for Spring. Her second round piece was funny, titled “Please Wait,” resisting the message on the computer screen.

Bill Thwing brought out his guitar, to sing a song in Haiku, noting that the Japanese poet, Basho, was a Samurai, “Samurai Sword.” In his 2nd round he read the lyrics of a song, “Blizzard,” about being caught in a storm in Alberta, Canada. 

Sherri Bedingfield read “Addiction Summer Kiss,” a family story about her son. In the 2nd round a  lushly descriptive piece about Key West In January.

Our host, Charlie Rossiter, read a couple pieces about confrontations with racism; in the first round, “Me & Robert Out In the World,” with his friend Robert Farr, an incident from long ago. Then the more recent, “Driving Red State Ohio” in the 2nd round. 

Julie Lomoe read her poem “American Armageddon” from the Moonstone press anthology on chaos.

Sharon Smith read lyrics to a new song, “The Truth,” that she had written for a friend's band; in the 2nd round read a poem, “Tikkum Olum,” based on the Kabbala creation myth (which I seem to recall is in her book).

Bridget Elder read from a work in progress, “Depraved Indifference,” with cartoon-like characters, the excerpt ending abruptly; later read some vignettes about her mom, a photographer.

This open mic is held on Zoom on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00PM Eastern time. If you would like to join it & are not already on Charlie’s list, send him an email at charliemrossiter@gmail.com & ask for the link.

Invocation, February 19

The peripatetic/nomadic open mic host R.M. Engelhardt has found another home for his current incarnation of Invocation — at Ophelia’s, which was once Red Square, where in 2005 Engelhardt once hosted an open mic titled “Listen.” Tonight, he started off with a reading of the well-worn poem, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, which he read for the passing of his father.

The space had a small stage with a scattering of folding chairs, but no place to put my beer except under my chair — I was careful & didn’t kick it over. 

First up on the sign-up sheet was Ian Macks reading from a new book, Identity Crises, the first piece a rant on Kanye West, then a poem about Trump, “Quarantine” — Ian got away at the end of the night before I could buy his book, maybe next time. 

Charles Lapinsky read his poems from plastic sheets, the first titled “Little Puff of Wind,” then a youth memoir of NYC “Love is Just That,” a poem set in the morgue “Still Life.” Austin Houston began with a political piece titled “True Colors,” then one about a meeting, “The Devil is My Friend.” Samuel Maurice read an automatic writing rant titled “Open Mic Scene Set on Lark St., for Alex Stokes,” then a piece about a car crashing into a hydrant, from his book Vibrant Sounds, Colors in Motion (Deadman’s Press Ink, 2023). 

Rob took the stage next, carrying a cane, actually quoted Lord Byron about “carrying a cane,” & read Elliot Richman’s poem “Death Camp at Walden Pond, then to a couple poems, “Waiting” & “Underground” from the forthcoming from Deadman's Press Ink (but previously issued in 2020) The Bones of Our Existence: A Journal of 2046. Later, he gave me a galley proof, nicely inscribed to me. 

Pat Williams is a frequent reader at Rob’s open mics, wherever it may be; tonight he read a poem in short line rhymes, “Forest of the Trees,” then one about a beaver, “Dam It.” I followed with a poem inspired by a passage in Walt Whitman’s Specimen Days, “Here I Sit In Solitude…” & by a visit to Crystal Springs in Laurel, NJ, which had inspired Whitman, then my annual birthday poem, this year’s titled “Self-Portrait with Cat.”

Lady Shevone (that’s how she signed up here tonight) has read a few times at the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center; tonight she read a couple pieces that sounded like breakup letters or notes critical of friends, “Let Me Say It Outloud” & “Sort of Out.” Elvira Horbata’s first poem was titled “Isis” & was like the Goddess of Love speaking advice to her, then read an untitled piece about trying to make a decision. Austin came to the stage again to read an untitled piece, like a prayer, from a pocket notebook.

Ophelia’s at 388 Broadway, Albany, NY is the new home to Invocation, on the third Wednesday, sign-up at 7:30PM, open mic starts at 8:00PM — bring some poems & check it out. 

Saratoga Senior Center Open Mic, February 14

We were gathered in a side room off the Lobby of the busy Senior Center, which was an improvement over the post-lunch dining room, with its noisy kitchen. Out host is Saratoga poet Rachel Baum, who started off with a poem by Elinor Wylie (1885 - 1928), “Sunset on the Spire.” There was no featured reader this month, but Rachel has suggested a theme, Love, this being Valentines Day.

When I arrived, about 4 poets had signed up for the open mic, but the #1 slot remained blank, so for the sake of order & neatness I took it; I read a love poem, “The Phrasing Must Change,” riffing off a line in a poem by Rumi, then a short little love poem, like a postcard, “Starting the Wine.” 

Rachel Baum followed with “Grief is a Person” that I recognized from other readings. Jeanne Ungar said she was here for the 1st time, having recently relocated from Brooklyn; she read “Each Night,” & a memory of being at Lake George as a youth, “Forest.” David Graham began with a poem by peace activist & poet William Stafford (1914 - 1993) “Passing Remarks,” then read “Summons” from his book The Honey of the Earth (Terrapin Books, 2019).

Leslie Sitter, who also reads at the monthly Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic, read a memoir/history of her boyfriends/husbands. David Gonsalves read a characteristically quirky take on the theme with an unValentine, “My Allegany Valentine,” & another titled “Dog Woos Cat.” Gerry Wichrowski read Debra Spencer’s funny piece “The Discovery of Sex.” 

Elaine Handley read 2 poems on theme, “Old Love,” & the tender, domestic “In the Afternoon.” Sue Valactis’s poem “Dance of Life” was about the relationship of her aunt & uncle, while “Time Capsule” was inspired by her 50-year college reunion. Mary Abbott read a draft of a poem written just this morning, “Always My Favorite Valentine” about her “Jack of Hearts” who got his wish to for home hospice.

Last minute signup was Galen (? spelling), with a tender piece beginning “Yesterday’s socks…” — I like when an audience member is inspired to read after hearing others in the open mic. Earlier when Leslie Sittner introduced her work she said that she had another piece on the Valentines theme but it was “too long;” Rachel invited her to finish off the afternoon by reading it, a letter to her late husband, “To Jim & his F-150” — a sweet, humorous love story of a man & his truck.

This open mic for poetry, prose, story telling, etc. is held on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1:00PM at the Saratoga Senior Center, 290 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY — Free!

 

Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic, February 5

It’s been many months since I’ve been able to get to this long-running poetry open mic, held together by the host, Carol Graser. She began by reading a poem by Albany-born poet Gregory Orr, “Being Alive” (beats the alternative). 

The night here always starts with a featured reader whose performance is live-streamed on the Caffè Lena YouTube channel. Tonight’s featured poet was Schenectady poet Adonis Richards. He began with a tribute to his grandmother, playing off a quote from Robert Frost, “Stay Golden.” He went on to a variety of other poems, including the intense piece tiled “Sometimes” with the refrain of “9 1/2 minutes,” on the murder of George Floyd; “Self-love” was an anguished poem about his father leaving, with a related piece “Pokemon.” A new poem just written was titled “I’ve Been Secretly Finding My Meaning in Life,” & ended with an ekphrastic love poem, based on a painting. You can find the video of his performance here.

Then on to the full, eclectic open mic list, starting with Darcy with 2 pieces, the first about seeing James Taylor perform in person, the 2nd a portrait of an non-conformist, “Differences of Life.” I was next, my 1st piece was an eco-poem commissioned last year by my friend, Mark Tremont, who recently died suddenly, “2 Dreams,” the 2nd was my annual Birthday Poem, this year titled “Self-Portrait with Cat.” I hadn’t seen Effy Redman read in quite a while, I missed her when she was featured here last year, this night she read a poem about insomnia, “Hope Stolen Moonlight.” 

Matthew Jones said this was his first time reading here, read a poem titled “Dope Sick,” then one about an encounter with girls in a bookstore, with the title “Should I Join the Army?” (NO!)  Jeaninne Laverty read a piece titled “After Finishing Reading Eric Gansworth” (a Haudenosaunee novelist & poet) which became a memoir of her mother killing chickens. Melissa Anderson said that she had just edited right here tonight the 2 poems she was reading, “Winter Cry,” & a dream poem, “The House is Not a Metaphor.” Harry said his piece was not meant to be political, just some thoughts from his life experiences, in irregular rhymes. 

Manny was a most enthusiastic audience member, then reader, beginning with the piece “Why Ghetto Birds Don’t Fly,” then a meditation on being alone, “The Forgotten Wolf.” Steve Van Pelt said that he had last read here 10 years ago (!), his pieces tonight were serious, sonorous memories, “The Bowl” (as in a Buddhist’s begging bowl) & “Amherst & Them” (being back again).

Evie said that this was her first time reading, ever, did quite well with a descriptive memoir “Mulberry,” & “Little Blues.” Autumn said that this was her first time reading here (implying that she has read her work elsewhere), & read 2 untitled pieces, the first a dreamy fantasy, the other about waking in the dark after a nightmare. Elaine Kenyon has read many times, in many places around here, she hosts a monthly open mic at the Schuylerville Public Library & read a poem by one of its participants, Ian McCray, about a typewriter, then one from her exercise of writing a poem about the word-of-the-day, this one from October, “Strife.”

Rodney Parrott read a fistful of his 3 line poems, including some about Donald Trump. Our host, Carol Graser, said she has a new collection of poems about to be released & read one titled “At Winter” from that book. Joe was yet another virgin reader this night, managed to squeeze in 4 poems, mostly short, “December Elegy,” a short piece on pets, “Emergence” (Monarch butterflies at the beach), & “Poem for the Dawn.” Lee brought the evening to a close with a pizza poem titled “A Life Dilemma,” then an untitled piece on a relationship.

As always, this rare open mic in the North Country represents the variety of the community writers here. There is always a local, regional, even national, featured poet & an open mic for the rest of us. Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic happens each first Wednesday of the month at historical Caffè Lena at 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, a featured reader at 7:00PM, followed by an open mic, $5.00 — bring your poems.

All-Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, January 14

A popular open mic thriving on Zoom, with our host Charlie Rossiter, who introduced the night with his “the mic is open” rant. Charlie likes to do 2 rounds, 1 poem each round.

I was first up, read the poem “2 dreams” commissioned by fellow Army veteran Mark Tremont for Earth Day last year; Mark was the proprietor of I Fill Inkjets in Delmar, NY until his sudden death earlier this month. In the 2nd round I read a poem inspired by a 1997 exhibit of Stieglitz’s portraits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art “Georgia O’Keefe’s Hands.”

Sharon Smith began with an ekphrastic poem, “The Ohio Day,” based on a painting that invoked memories of her childhood in Ohio; in the 2nd round she paid tribute to the late President Carter, “Dear Jimmy” like a list of accomplishments, “100 years of…” 

Kate McNairy writes very short poems, like gems, & so she read each twice, in the first round “Once,” wistful, at a lake, under stars & a blue Moon; in her 2nd round, a poem about disappearing snow flakes, “Lost.” 

Our host, Charlie Rossiter, read a memoir of returning to his college days, musing on his life, 

“After Reading a Friends Recollection;” for the 2nd round he read from his chapbook, Lakeside Poems, selection of short poems about Lake Michigan (that I seem not to have). 

Julie Lomoe read poems from her recently self-published collection of poems, in the first round a rambling memoir of 1962 in Wisconsin, “Red Alert;” in her 2nd round a dead cat poem, “Lunesta Craves My Breath,” in which the cat teaches her how to die.

In the 1st round Bill Thwing read from The Selected Poems of Ai Qing 20th century Chinese poet (1919 - 1996), the poem “Sea & Tears,” then some Haiku (“because that’s what I do” he said); & in the 2nd round he brought out his guitar to sing a song written last year, based on a prompt of AI generated words, about going to Canada to heal after his service in Viet Nam, “there is no future when there’s war.” 

This open mic on Zoom happens on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00PM Eastern time. If you would like to join in, & you are not already on Charlie’s list, send him an email, charliemrossiter@gmail.com, & ask to join the list. 

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, January 12

After 3 years at the rich space that was Collar City Mushrooms, & before that limping through the pandemic, & more years before that at the Arts Center of the Capital Region where we were first given the space to create this opportunity for our local writers, we, me & Nancy Klepsch, have found a new home at Alias Coffee on 4th Street in Troy. And there was full house to start us off, some inadvertent audience members who had just come in for coffee & conversation, but many of our regular 2nd Sunday poets, such as Rhonda Rosenheck who was first on the list; she read a poem titled “The Clark” that was like a poetic walk thru that esteemed museum, then a new poem whose title I missed. Anne R. read a memoir piece about a best friend, “Nadine’s Toad.” 

Mary Panza’s 2 poems were both about walking barefoot, the first, “Muscle Memories,” was about how walking barefoot brought back a memory of walking barefoot in Troy, & then another Troy poem, a memory of her father ("that bastard") & responding to her daughter’s question, “how do you walk in high heals.”

I read an eco-poem commissioned last Earth Day by Mark Tremont (who left us last week), “2 Dreams,” then a bit of automatic writing “The Moon is a Damp Alley.” David Gonsalves read 2 different poems, “Flute Song,” & “Elephants” (they leave the room). Joel Best is another regular at this monthly open mic, read a poem titled “Eldridge” in which an old relationship comes back to him in a poem. 

Our co-host, Nancy Klepsch, read a poem for her friends in Los Angeles as the fires raged, then, the hysterically funny “The Women from Long Island (The Queer Version)” performed in authentic Longisland dialect. Kim Henry made a rare open mic appearance to read a couple untitled pieces, the first an emotionally heavy conversation over dinner about her father, the second set on a plane to Rome addressed to her daughter? or to an early version of herself? Rachel Baum, who hosts the open mic at the Saratoga Senior Center, read a poem about a dysfunctional family “Dracula Jesus Christ Super Star.” 

Avery Stempel had made his space at Collar City Mushrooms on 2nd Ave. available to us for this open mic since August 2021 until his landlord sold the building; but as a poet, he was back to join his fellow poets, he talked about the move of his mushroom farm up to Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont, like exchanging animals, space, the kind of changes that we — & the natural world — does all the time. Julie Lomoe read from her new book a poem written 8 years ago, “Red Alert,” a memoir of 1962 & the fear of dying in a nuclear holocaust while fucking her boyfriend, the another a rambling memoir triggered by Charles Mingus’ “Eclipse” [I try to include links to the poets’ work online but when I went to Julie’s website to get a link to her self-published book of poems I got this response, “This site can’t be reached: www.creativecrone.net took too long to respond.” — maybe she fell asleep).

The final poet for this afternoon, Ash, said it was her 1st time in Troy & I suspect she & her companion had shown up for some coffee & conversation, then found themselves in a poetry reading! She recited 2 pieces from memory, one about warm hands in a cold bed, the other about a snake in a garden about death, both rich in vivid, bright images that great poetry requires.

Well, one never knows who might show up, do one? We hope we can continue on here at Alias Coffee Bar, 219 4th St., Troy, NY — like the title says, every 2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose — bring your best — & your worst.